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electric vs. manual breastpump

I was just wondering if anyone has tried the new Dr. Brown's manual pump. Is it as effective as, let's say, the medela. I bought a First Years electric pump when I first had my dd 2 months ago. I think I have a low milk supply. If I buy the medela, do you think it will make a considerable difference? I don't have a lot of extra money right now because I quit my teaching job to take care of my dd full-time. I recently bought an avent manual pump. I pump a lot to try to increase my milk. I did see a little bit of an increase when I switched pumps. I have an 8 lb 10-week-old and pump anywhere from 1-1 1/2 oz. Occasionally I'll get 2, but that is only if I have gone over 4 hours without feeding/pumping. I have been supplementing since her birth because of her low birth weight (4 lbs 14 oz). I am trying to cut out the formula completely while increasing bm. What are your suggestions? Do pumps really make a difference in amount?

Re: electric vs. manual breastpump

For me personally, I found that the Medela Harmony pump gave me milk output when I pumped. I didn't have much luck with Avent or the evenflo pumps. I am still working on the PIS pump. This may sound strange but each person reacts differently to the different pumps and sometimes it is trial and error or just a personal choice..
HTH

Re: electric vs. manual breastpump

I personally haven’t tried the Dr. Brown’s manual pump. I have the Medela Pump in Style Advanced only because I pump at least 3 times a day (3 times a day at work, and sometimes an extra pump session at home). I think it’s your best bet to get an electric double pump if you will be pumping a lot to increase your supply. The Ameda Purely Yours pump is very comparable to the Medela, but is much cheaper, so that may be an option for you.

Also, pumping takes a lot of practice. Every women reacts different to pumping…some can get a let-down really quickly, others can’t. Breast compression/massaging your breasts while you pump will definitely help yield more milk. Another thing to consider is taking herbal supplements (fenugreek), drinking mother’s milk tea (you can get this from GNC), and eating oatmeal…to help increase your milk supply…see below for more information.

Re: electric vs. manual breastpump

I tried the Medela PISA but wasn't successful. I switched to the Playtex Embrace pump and have had much better results with that pump. My best advice if you decide to purchase the PIS is to see a LC and have her help you find the correct breast shield size. HTH.

Re: electric vs. manual breastpump

I started with the single first years pump then got the double but the shields started to get weird and it seems like it lost good suction so I got the medela pump it works but it seems to be wearing out. I have had the Avent hand pump and I love it. But those are just the one's I have gone through in the past 9 months but it's all a personal decision. Good luck it's alot of work but it's really worth it

Re: electric vs. manual breastpump

Hi, I bought the minio electric pump from medela and i could pump for an hour andf get nothing!
the manual advent pump works ok but i can only get 1oz maybe... I talked to lactation consultant and she recommended hand expressing, which for me works so much better i can get 2-3oz a side easily!
just a thought!

Re: electric vs. manual breastpump

Originally Posted by shortmama

I pump a lot to try to increase my milk. I did see a little bit of an increase when I switched pumps. I have an 8 lb 10-week-old and pump anywhere from 1-1 1/2 oz. Occasionally I'll get 2, but that is only if I have gone over 4 hours without feeding/pumping. I have been supplementing since her birth because of her low birth weight (4 lbs 14 oz). I am trying to cut out the formula completely while increasing bm. What are your suggestions? Do pumps really make a difference in amount?

Hi, I was wondering how many times is your daughter nursing per day?
The key to increasing your supply is to get her to the breast as often as possible. It looks like she is gaining weight well (over 5 ounces per week). How much formula is she getting? Perhaps you can gradually decrease the formula while increasing the number of nursing sessions.

Please do not use the amount you can pump as an indication of low supply. There are some women who just don't respond as well to a pump. A baby is much more efficient at emptying the breast.

Re: electric vs. manual breastpump

The best way to up your supply with pumping is by renting a hospital grade pump. The rest of the pumps are for maintaining a good supply, but to build a good supply you can't beat hospital grade pumps.

I had low supply from the begining (due to many reasons) and was told my PISA was fine to build a supply. I pumped for 10min after each feed, and wasn't getting very much- maybe 1/2 oz from both breasts.

I then went to see a different LC and she rented me a Medela Symphony pump, and I pumped for 15 min after each feed and took domperidone and I am now exclusively breastfeeding. We have cut out all supplements, and I even have started a freezer stash, something I never thought possible.

I loved the symphony, and highly recommend it along with domperidone for true supply issues. It is very important to work with a LC so she can check your latch etc.